Is it time for Sepp Blatter to go for his comments on racism?, soccer a one-way ticket out, Becks feeling his age, Solo breaks down and more from What the Papers Say.

Thursday, November 17

Blatter's dereliction of duty scandalous - The Guardian - It is easy to paint Blatter as a buffoon, but his comments were deliberate and self-serving

Blatter comments played down abroad - BBC - How the foreign press have reported Sepp Blatter's racism comments

Blatter's blunders - Sky Sports - The race storm Sepp Blatter has created isn't the first time he's suffered a case of foot in mouth.

Blatter still served by Fifa family's self interest - The Telegraph - If he were a Member of Parliament, the tidal wave of reaction against him today would be decisive. Sepp Blatter, the president of Fifa, would be forced to resign for claiming that there is no racism in football and his suggestion that any on-field incident could simply be righted with a handshake.

Racism row nothing new to England football - New Zealand Herald - For most fans, players, and managers, the international break presents an irritating distraction from the business of the English Premier League season. For John Terry, this past week has been a chance to escape from the mayhem back home. Well, almost.

Beckham's impact on MLS can be measured in dollar signs - LA Times - Midfielder's stint with the Galaxy might end Sunday in MLS Cup game, and although his play hasn't lived up to the hype for the most part, it has helped lift the league to new heights.

Spot betting, racism and misconduct are threatening football, says PFA chief Taylor - Daily Mail - Gordon Taylor arrives at the offices of the PFA in Manchester and another stack of those big, bulky box files has been placed by his door. Matters relating to Carlos Tevez: confidential. Matters relating to Kolo Toure: confidential. Matters relating to John Terry/Anton Ferdinand: confidential. Matters relating to Antolin Alcaraz: confidential. One wonders how many boxes Titus Bramble merits.

Why We Should Crave A Group Of Death - Football 365 - Plenty have been desperately hoping England get an easy draw in Euro 2012, but Matt Stanger wants Spain, France and Portugal. St.George killed a dragon, not an otter...

Qualification covers cracks as Irish dare to dream - Reuters - Those who arrived late to the Republic of Ireland’s party in Dublin could be forgiven for wondering what was going on as 10 years of hurt were banished and Euro 2012 qualification was assured. Ten years to the day after they last secured qualification for a major tournament (beating Iran in a playoff to make the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea), the Irish rounded off a resounding 5-1 aggregate victory over Estonia to book their place at Euro 2012.

The man who missed the Republic's ride - The Guardian - Stephen Ireland is the loser after snubbing Giovanni Trapattoni's overtures to return

A rivalry to relish - Sky Sports - It would be great to see England go head-to-head with the Republic at Euro 2012, says Jeff Stelling.

Terry Captain Cool in England Glory - Daily Star - There were no new dramas for John Terry at a half-empty Wembley last night. His trial by the public passed without any real cross-examination. In fact, there were more cheers than boos – and JT will be relieved that England ­ended 2011 ­unbeaten.

Where Soccer Has Been a One-Way Ticket Out - New York Times - The question surrounding Eritrea’s World Cup qualifier Tuesday at Rwanda is not how many goals the visitors will score, but how many players will be on the plane flight home.

Phil Jones could become the new Rio Ferdinand but he is not there yet - The Telegraph - Every manager, at club and international level, is looking for the next great centre-half, but Fabio Capello’s reluctance to blood Phil Jones in that position for England highlights the reality that he is still not ready for the role.

Newcastle's new French generation - BBC - As Alan Pardew's team prepare for a tough run, can their Gallic stars continue to deliver?

Becks Feeling his Age - The Sun - David Beckham has hailed this season with LA Galaxy as his best yet — but says his aches and pains are getting worse with age

Top Ten: Premier League Partnerships - Football365 - Whether it's going to the pub, a nice stroll or carnal funtimes, doing things in pairs is so much more fun. So here are our top ten partnerships of the season so far...

Enough caviar, a bit of humility please - Reuters - Have Argentina, the world’s biggest exporters of soccer players, lost their feeling for the national colours Diego Maradona wore with such pride and passion? Has the ever increasing exodus of players to Europe dented their edge, made them soft?

Red Bulls GM oversaw a tumultuous season - New York Daily News - The Red Bulls have the one of the highest payroles in the league but have not lived up to expectations and the NY Daily looks at the journey in the Big Apple.

Celtic fears of witch-hunt are misplaced - The Guardian - Offensive chanting is a complex issue, but that doesn't mean it should be avoided

Hope Solo 'breaks down in tears - Daily Mail - She's a world class soccer player, but it seems Hope Solo struggled to be a good sport after her elimination from Dancing With The Stars last night.